


The Cold Light of Day

by iblamethenubbins



Series: Warm Nights and Cold Days [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Cat is PISSED, F/F, and Kara is DUMB, balcony talk, make-up making out, the day-after
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 08:50:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8198861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iblamethenubbins/pseuds/iblamethenubbins
Summary: It's the day after and Cat is pissed with Kara and Kara is clueless as to why. AKA, Cat has every right to be pissed and Kara is DUMB.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for and beta-read by [zoethart](http://archiveofourown.org/users/zoethart/pseuds/zoethart) Thank you! You're a star, as always.

The next day at work things are tense. Kara is not really sure what the problem is. In fact, she had sort of imagined things would be better. But Cat has been giving her the ice treatment all morning. She hasn’t insulted her, threatened to fire her or thrown anything at her. No, this is cold, calculating, distant rejection and Kara just doesn’t get it. She wishes she could talk it out with a friend, maybe they’d help her understand this human. But she is alone and at a total loss. 

There’s only one way to get to the bottom of this. She needs to talk to her. But talking means “Talking” and does she really want to get into the whole Yes-I’m-Supergirl-Sorry-I’ve-Lied-To-You-Please-Forgive-Me thing now? It seems so daunting. And right now, she doesn’t even know how Cat would react. Having a confirmation directly from her would give Cat power over her and the way she’s been acting all morning makes her think this power might misfire somehow. She wishes she wouldn’t even think these things, but they come to her uninvited. And it’s all Cat’s fault for acting so weird!

She really wants to know what she did wrong, though. It can’t have been the sex, the sex was great, no problems there. It can’t have been what they talked about after. Cat had told her she feels the same, and that they’d figure it out together. It was kind of like a promise, right? And then Kara had held her all night. Had kept her close to her heart and she, who doesn’t even need to sleep that much, had enjoyed one of the most peaceful nights in a very long time. Then in the morning she hadn’t even woken her up, had let her sleep. She thought she had been more than considerate. Besides, she needed to go back home, to do… stuff. And to sort out her feelings. It’s not like she ran away or anything. It was more that she needed to be alone in her own home. Perfectly normal behavior. She sighs. She’s not going to understand this by herself. She needs to have The Talk now. 

But Cat is in a board meeting and has expressly closed the door of the board room in her face. Not exactly encouraging behavior for a heart-to-heart conversation. She checks her watch. The meeting is scheduled to be over in a couple of minutes and Cat always sticks to the schedule. She stares at her watch hands until they strike 11.30 and, bang on time, the suits and ties start filing out. She gets up and goes to stand beside the door, hoping to catch Cat’s attention. 

“Ms. Grant?” she says when she sees her passing by.

Cat doesn’t even acknowledge having heard her. Kara speeds up, undeterred. 

“Ms. Grant,” she tries again.

But Cat goes straight to her office without even a glance in her direction.

Kara sighs. Why do things have to be so difficult with this woman? She steels herself and steps into the office.  
Of course Cat is behind her desk, already typing something on her computer and doesn’t look up. 

“Ms. Grant,” she says for the third time. Nothing.

“Please, I know you can hear me.”

Cat lifts her face. “Oh. Kiera, you’re here. Did you want something?”

Kara’s shoulders fall. This is harder than she thought. 

“Have I... Have I done something wrong?”

Cat stares. “Do you mean besides missing the deadline for that proof due today? Or forgetting to cancel that meeting with my lawyer tomorrow? Or wearing the cheapest, ugliest pants you own? Or besides failing to notice how I really, really don’t want to talk to you today? No, you haven’t done anything wrong, Kiera.”  
She spits out her wrong name as if it was an insult. Kara thinks now the cold treatment wasn’t so bad after all. Because she has all day to meet that deadline and she had tried to cancel that meeting earlier but she couldn’t get through to her damn lawyer and she should just get out of there and try to regain some of her sanity instead of trying to make sense of this woman’s madness. Except, she knows she wouldn’t be able to forget about it and the only way to deal with it, with her, is to push through, like she’s always done. Ignore the hurtful comments and get to the truth.

“Look, Cat, can’t we just--”

“Excuse me? What did you just call me?”

Kara is too stunned to reply.

“I think you better get out now before I throw something sharp at you.”

Now would be the time to back out, she tells herself. That, or go all the way in. Kara inhales deeply and mentally rolls up her sleeves. She goes around the desk and stands in front of Cat and doesn’t give Cat time to react. 

“OK, let’s go, I need to talk to you. In private.”

“And what makes you think--”

Kara just grabs Cat’s arm and pulls her up. Doesn’t exactly use her super strength but makes sure Cat realises she’d use it if necessary.

“Let’s. Just. Go.” She drags Cat out to the balcony door and pulls it open.

As soon as they’re out, she lets go of Cat’s arm and looks at her.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, Kiera. But I’m this close to firing you right now.”

“OK. Go ahead. Fire me,” Kara says crossing her arms. “Maybe we’ll finally be able to have a real conversation then.”

“What is there to talk about? You’ve been childish and disrespectful and rude and I’ve had enough of--”

Cat stops talking because Kara grabs her face and kisses her.  
She hasn’t planned this, but in a split second she had realised that kissing her would serve multiple purposes at once. It would shut her up, for starters. And it would spare Kara the “I’m Supergirl” talk. It would also, hopefully, make Cat forget that she was angry at her. Or at least it would make her forgive whatever she did. 

She feels Cat resisting at first, and then melting into her mouth, returning the kiss automatically. But a second later she feels Cat’s hands on her chest, pushing her away. Kara takes her hands off her face, afraid to have made things worse.  
Cat’s face is angry. Furious even. She’s breathing heavily, clutching Kara’s cardigan, making her knuckles white. Kara is not sure what to expect. She’s half scared Cat is going to hit her. But then Cat shakes her head and says, “Oh, dammit,” and pulls her in again, crushing her mouth on hers. Kara can’t believe her luck and takes a second to respond, but soon they’re both deep into the kiss, hands buried into each other’s hair, desperately trying to get as close as humanly possible. Kara never wants to let go. She drags her hands lower, lets them wander over Cat’s back, her ass, her waist. She moves them to the front and skirts her stomach, goes to grab her breasts, squeezes them. Cat moans into her mouth so she starts unbuttoning her shirt, one knee pressing through her legs. And then Cat pulls away. 

“Wait, wait,” she says, breathless.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?! Kara…” Cat laughs but it’s one of her bitter, sad laughs. “We’re at work, on my balcony.”

“So? No one can see us from here.”

“That’s not the point. And you were right, we need to talk.”

Kara grimaces. “I wish I was wrong on this one.”

“You left.”

Kara waits.

“This morning. I woke up and you were gone.”

“Yes?”

Kara starts to replay all the thoughts in her head that told her it was a normal and right thing to do in that circumstance, but comes up empty.

“Is that why you’ve been giving me the ice treatment?”

Cat purses her lips and looks away.

“But… I let you sleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”

Cat shakes her head and smiles, but she looks like she’s on the verge of tears.

“You’re such an idiot, Kara.”

“No, please, Cat,” Kara says, and wraps her arms around Cat’s waist, pulling her close. “You know I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she says softly. “I never want to hurt you.”

“Then why did you leave? When I explicitly said you could stay.”

“I--I don’t know.”

Cal pulls away again. “I don’t accept that.”

Kara stares at her, tries to find the right words, the words that would make it all better, that would fix everything, that would make Cat hold her again. But she can’t find them while Cat is looking at her like that. So hurt and fragile.  
She turns to lean on the balustrade and looks out, lets her head clear before she starts speaking. 

“Maybe… it’s possible I wasn’t ready.”

“For what?”

“For this. For us. Daytime us.”

“Oh.”

“No, let me finish. That came out wrong.” She brushes some hair off her face, tries to find the right words this time.

“I might have been afraid. Of you not wanting me.”

Cat scoffs. “What are you talking about? Of course I want you.”

“You’ve had Supergirl. Not plain, old Kara,” she says, turning to look at her.

Cat blinks. “Kara?”

“Hm?”

“Listen to me very carefully.”

“Yes?”

“Are you listening?”

“I’m listening.”

“OK. Kara Danvers, you’re a dumbass.”

Kara frowns. “Oh-kay.” That’s not what she expected. 

“When have I not known you were Supergirl?”

“That’s not the same thing. You’ve completely ignored me at work. Even after…”

“Oh, honey. That’s because I wasn’t sure what you wanted. I still don’t know what you want.”

“I want you,” she says, taking a step towards her.

“And secondly, I wasn’t supposed to know you’re Supergirl, remember? You made it perfectly clear. But last night…” she pauses. “I thought last night changed things”

“It did!”

“And then you ran away.”

“Because I’m a dumbass.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.” Kara puts her arms around Cat’s waist again and pulls her in.

Cat rolls her eyes, but she doesn’t try to push her away, so Kara takes it as a good sign.

“Can we try to forget about it?”

“I don’t know. Are you ready to behave like the smart, adult person I know you are?”

“You think I’m smart?”

Cat narrows her eyes at her.

“OK, OK! Yes, I am.”

“Good. It’s a start.”

“Cat?”

“Hm?”

“I really care about you.”

“I care about you too.”

“Will you let me show you how much I care by taking you out on a date?”

“A date.”

“Yes.”

“Me and you.”

“Yes?”

“I guess that can be arranged.”

“Tonight?”

“I’ll have to check my schedule first.”

“No need. You’re free,” she smiles.

“Oh, the perks of dating your assistant.”

“If you let me, I’ll show you all the other perks later,” Kara says and Cat laughs.

“Your smooth talk still needs some work, darling.”

“Whatever. I’ll pick you up. I could even fly us there?”

“No,” Cat says. “I want to go out on a date with Kara Danvers. The suit can wait.”

Kara smiles and brings Cat closer. 

“As you wish, Ms. Grant,” she says, leaning down to kiss her.


End file.
